Getting through to your students

The 3-day conference aims to improve communication skills of teachers.

ISLAMABAD:

Over 500 teachers will learn to effectively communicate and network with their peers and students at a three-day conference that started here on Thursday.

With “C.O.N.N.E.C.T” as the theme, the sixth annual Teacher Development Conference at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts brought together prominent speakers on the opening day.

Teachers’ Development Centre Director and conference training Abbas Husain elaborated the importance of beyond the classroom learning. He talked about its significance in connecting students to the world of opportunities and expanding their network abilities and opportunities. Elucidating his ideas, he presented the “power of 5 C’s”, which are connect, collaborate, communicate, critical thinking, and creativity.

SkillCity Pakistan CEO Wali Zahid spoke about strategies for developing students as global entrepreneurs and schools as global enterprises where education is about instilling creativity and risk taking.

HEC Chairperson Dr Javaid Laghari said the information and technology gap that is inherent within the teacher-student generation gap can be smoothed over if teachers familiarise themselves with the same tools that their students use.

Many teachers attending the conference felt that it was a good learning opportunity. Saira Rasheed, a teacher from Lahore, said trying to connect with students about studies with Facebook and Youtube occupying most of their time can be “intimidating”.

“But this is why the theme [of this conference] is so important.

Teachers can use the technology that is estranging them from students to bring them closer and reinvent teaching and learning.”

The conference is being organised by the Roots National Institute of Teacher Training & Education (RNITTE) in collaboration with Change -- in Education.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2012.